Ever wondered what happens at a Buckingham Palace investiture ?
A Day of Pride at the Palace
Ever wondered what happens at a Buckingham Palace investiture ?
AWARD
By Philip T Gibb OBE BCCJ President Emeritus
At 10am on Friday 17 May , 2013 we arrived at the south gate of Buckingham Palace to begin a day of celebrations , starting with my investiture as an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire ( OBE ).
We knew that the queen would not be officiating on the day as the Union Jack , rather than the Royal Standard , was flying above the palace . However , our spirits were not diminished and we were curious as to whether Prince Charles or the Princess Royal would be overseeing the proceedings .
The footman greeted us and our names were checked to make sure we were in the right place for the investiture . Although I knew that the establishment is good at pomp and ceremony , it is only when you get to experience it first hand that you truly appreciate the work that goes into making it feel seamless .
The Life Guards , resplendent in immaculate red and white uniforms with shiny breastplates , stood like statues in the reception area while we were directed to the cloakrooms to divest ourselves of cameras and mobiles before being invited to ascend the grand staircase .
The magnificent paintings , sculptures , and ornate ceilings oozed history and opulence as we tried not to trip as we gazed around , hoping that one foot was still going in front of the other .
The award recipients were directed to the Picture Gallery , a room that could easily be mistaken for a museum as the walls are adorned with a magnificent collection of Italian , Dutch and Flemish masters mainly from the 17th century .
While waiting for the ceremony to start , I introduced myself to the growing number of people in the reception area . On the day , 93 people — from military and civil backgrounds — received awards .
Graham Cole , an actor from The Bill TV series , paralympians Mark Colbourne ( cycling ) and Hannah Cockcroft ( athletics ), members of the armed forces , including Lance Bombardier Benjamin Parkinson of the Royal Artillery , as well as Nana Nyarko , for services to London ’ s
Philip Gibb with members of the Queen ’ s Body Guard of the Yeoman of the Guard , the oldest remaining UK military corps .
buses were collecting their awards . They represented a real cross-section of the public who were all rightly recognised for the various contributions they had made to society .
The instructions for the investiture were delivered in a humorous , yet appropriate , way so everyone knew exactly what to do and when , including how correctly to address the Prince of Wales , who would be officiating .
The national anthem signalled that the Prince of Wales had arrived in the ballroom and the investiture had begun .
My name was called , and for the seventh time since 10am , I was asked to confirm my name and award .
After moving into an adjacent corridor through the back of the ballroom , the Prince of Wales was visible on a small dais in the centre of the room . He was surrounded by a number of people wearing military uniform , including five members of the Queen ’ s Body Guard of the Yeomen of the Guard and two Queen ’ s Gurkha Orderly Officers .
After leaving the ballroom , the recipients entered an adjacent corridor to be called to appear before Prince Charles .
We were instructed to move when one ’ s surname was called , turn to face the prince , bow one ’ s head and walk forward two or three paces to the front of the dais . The prince pinned the medal on the hook that had previously been placed on my jacket and offered his congratulations . He led the conversation and asked whether I wore my kilt in Japan and the state of business here . He then offered his hand to shake — the signal to withdraw backwards with bowed head . It seemed like several minutes had passed but , in reality , it was probably only two .
On leaving the ballroom , my medal was removed and placed in a box , which was later given back to me with an order of service . I was then directed to the back of the ballroom to watch the remaining guests receive their awards .
As the proceedings continued , the Orchestra of the Band of The Royal Artillery played a selection of music from Elgar to Ravel . At 12:10pm the orchestra played the national anthem and the Prince of Wales and his entourage left the ballroom . We were then all invited to leave .
The official photographs were being taken in the quadrangle after the ceremony and , as the Yeoman of the Guard arrived out of a side door , a carriage drawn by two magnificent bay horses arrived to take them back to their barracks . It was too good an opportunity to miss : I had to have my photograph taken with the Yeomen .
My feelings about the day can be summed up in one word : pride . Pride at being recognised for the work I had done in promoting British business in Japan ; pride in wearing my kilt ; pride in being British and visiting Buckingham Palace ; pride in having my partner Anne , my sister Jane and my daughter-in-law Kirsty with me ; and pride in being part of a truly memorable experience .
JUNE 2013 | BCCJ ACUMEN | 29